Sichuan Cuisine Deep Dive - Beyond Mapo Tofu
Emily Zhang
Member
Sichuan food is China's most famous cuisine and for good reason. The numbing-spicy flavor profile (málà) using Sichuan peppercorns is addictive:
Chengdu's Cuisine Highlights: - Huang Cheng La Ma (炙火) - iconic beef offal and tripe noodles - Kuan Zhai Alley - food stall row with late night dan dan noodles - Sichuanese hotpot at 马婆 - not the touristy chain ones
Must-try Dishes: - Mapo doufu (mapo tofu) - theauthentic version has real málà flavor - Bangbang chicken (棒棒鸡) - poached chicken with spicy sesame sauce - Spicy crispy beef tripe - Dan dan noodles (担担面)
Cooking Class: I took a morning class at the Sichuan Cooking School in Chengdu. Made mapo tofu, dumplings, and la zi ji (spicy chicken). Best experience of my trip!
Vegetarians: Sichuan has excellent vegetable dishes - there's a whole category called "cold meat" that's actually tofu shaped to look like meat.